AJA Newsbites is a curated roundup of major news and developments from across Asia, brought to you by members of Asia Journalist Association (AJA)
Lee Sang-ki, THE AsiaN, Korea
Five people have been selected as winners of the 2026 Manhae Grand Prize, which honours the peace, social action, and literary spirit of Korean independence activist, Buddhist monk, and poet Han Yong-un.
Former Kochi Prefectural Assembly Chairman Shiozo Nishimori received the Peace Prize for promoting friendship and civic exchanges between South Korea and Japan for more than 30 years. The Action Prize was awarded jointly to lawyer Park Joon-young, known for winning retrials for wrongfully convicted individuals, and Ahn Kyu-ri, chairwoman of Raphael International, for supporting medically underserved communities at home and abroad. Poet Jeong Ho-seung and musical producer Park Myung-sung received the Literature and Arts Prize. The awards ceremony will be held on September 9 in Inje, Gangwon Province. Established in 1997, the prize has honoured an estimated 150 individuals and organisations.
Norila Daud, Malaysia World News, Malaysia
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) will seek cooperation from authorities in Dubai, Singapore, and Indonesia through the Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) process as part of its investigation into investments made by the Retirement Fund Incorporated (KWAP).
MACC chief commissioner Abd Halim Aman said the move is necessary to obtain key documents related to the investments, which remain in the respective countries, as well as to record statements from overseas witnesses needed to complete the investigation. “We will liaise with the Attorney-General’s Chambers to secure cooperation for the MLA process,” he said at a press conference following his keynote address at the 22nd Meeting of the ASEAN Parties Against Corruption (ASEAN-PAC) Secretariat in Banda Hilir, Melaka, on Tuesday, July 28, as quoted by the New Straits Times.
Last week, Halim confirmed that MACC would seek international cooperation to obtain statements from witnesses linked to KWAP’s RM163 million (about 60.31 billion won) investment, and that the commission had identified individuals who could assist in the investigation. MACC has also submitted an application under the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Act (MACMA) to trace individuals overseas linked to KWAP’s investment in Indonesian company eFishery.
Halim also said MACC had written to Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) seeking cooperation in two areas. The first involves asking BNM to seek assistance from foreign financial authorities to trace the financial status of three overseas companies — one in Singapore and two in Indonesia. The second involves seeking information through Cash Transaction Reports (CTR) and Suspicious Transaction Reports (STR) to identify the financial flows and status of persons and entities linked to the investigation. The commission is awaiting BNM’s response before taking further action. “We are still investigating this matter. Cases involving MLA take longer because the process spans different jurisdictions and requires cooperation from the relevant countries,” he said.
Chhay Sophal, Cambodia News Online, Cambodia
Cambodia’s economic growth is projected to slow to 3.9% in 2026, supported by export growth in the garment, non-garment, and agricultural sectors alongside foreign direct investment inflows.
Speaking at the National Bank of Cambodia’s (NBC) first-half performance review conference on Monday, July 28, NBC Governor Chea Serey attributed the slowdown to geopolitical tensions escalating into armed conflicts in parts of the region and the Middle East, which has had a significant impact on economies worldwide. Cambodia is also contending with domestic challenges, including the lingering effects of the border dispute with Thailand, the crackdown on cybercrime, and the continued aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis, she said.
The International Monetary Fund recently lowered its Cambodia growth forecast to 3% following its Article IV consultation, while the Asian Development Bank and the ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office have maintained their projections at around 4.2%.
Bhanu Ranjan Chakraborty, Asia Journalist Association, Bangladesh
A total of 7,364 students were killed in road accidents in Bangladesh over the seven and a half years from 2019 to June 2026, accounting for 15.11% of the 48,713 total road accident fatalities during the period, according to a press release by the Road Safety Foundation issued on Tuesday, July 28.
Of the student fatalities, 3,328 were school and madrasa students aged 5 to 17, while 4,036 were college and university students aged 18 to 25. The highest number of student deaths involved motorcycle drivers and riders.
The foundation’s analysis identified defective roads, reckless motorcycle riding, and failure to obey traffic laws as the main causes of student deaths. Recommendations included regular road safety campaigns in educational institutions and the inclusion of road safety topics in school textbooks.
Shakil Yamin Kanga, APNEC, Pakistan
Pakistani female boxer Fatima Zahra has reached the semifinals of the Commonwealth Games boxing competition in Glasgow, becoming the first Pakistani woman to achieve the feat and guaranteeing at least a bronze medal.
In the quarterfinals of the women’s 60kg category, Fatima Zahra defeated New Zealand’s Jordan Wilson 5-0 in a one-sided bout to secure her semifinal berth. The 21-year-old had previously won a bronze medal for Pakistan at the Islamic Solidarity Games. She is now aiming to reach the final.
Kuban Abdymen, Centralasianlight, Kyrgyzstan
An interagency working group in Kyrgyzstan has identified around 40 companies whose activities may involve elevated sanctions risks since late June. Government agencies are currently reviewing these organisations, with decisions to be made in accordance with Kyrgyz legislation.
Special Presidential Representative for Special Assignments Bakyt Sydykov announced the findings on July 27 during a meeting on compliance with international sanctions regimes. He said representatives of the United Kingdom and the United States have positively assessed Kyrgyzstan’s efforts to prevent sanctions circumvention, including stronger coordination among government agencies.
Over the past three weeks, authorities have terminated the operations of three companies — Shisan, Rama Group, and Nova Project — and revoked the licence of one cryptocurrency company. Government agencies have been instructed to complete ongoing reviews within a week.
Authorities also reaffirmed their intention to strengthen export controls, improve interagency coordination, and cooperate with international partners to prevent sanctions circumvention through Kyrgyzstan.
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THE AsiaN Korean : 아자뉴스바이트 20260729 – 아시아엔 THE AsiaN
